An interactive television program guide with remote access is provided. The interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment. A remote program guide access device is connected to the interactive television program guide equipment by a remote access link to provide a user with remote access to program guide functions. An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc.

Interactive television program guide with remote access

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

Client-server based interactive television program guide system with remote server recording

An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. In addition, the program schedule system of the present invention utilizes category-specific user interfaces providing access to multiple services including television programs, received data feeds, home shopping services, and video games as well as the stored program schedule information.

Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access

A system for providing interactive television program guide features and other features and information related to a specific user interest or programming category in niche hubs is provided. All of the television programming features provided by user television equipment that relate to a specific user interest or programming category may be accessed from the niche hub. For example, a movie lovers niche hub may provide programming features such as television program listings for movies, video-on-demand listings for movies, pay-per-view listings for movies, web site links related to movies, movie-related merchandise, movie news groups, movie chat groups, movie e-mail clubs, movie contests, movie trivia questions, movie actor interviews, movie reviews, movie channel package ordering, etc. The programming features of the niche hubs may be transmitted from a server, database, or other storage facility via a television distribution facility. User television equipment may be connected via two-way communications paths to transmit messages to each other.

Interactive television program guide system and method with niche hubs

A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.

Client-server electronic program guide

A method and apparatus for controlling routing within a communication system (10) modifies (258) routing tables (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) located within nodes (150) so that received data packets are not returned directly to their sending nodes. In response to detection (352) of a failed link, a node (150) modifies (354) its routing tables (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) to avoid the failed link. After notification (402) of the failed link, a control facility (28) responds by creating (404) commands that compensate for the failed link. The control facility (28) sends (404) the commands to at least the node (150) that detected the failed link. If not already performed by the control facility (28), the node (150) then modifies (364, 366) its routing tables (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) so that data packets are not returned to their sending nodes, and to avoid the failed link.

Responsive routing control method and apparatus

L'invention concerne un appareil et un procede permettant de commander l'acheminement de messages a l'interieur d'un systeme de telecommunications. Selon l'invention, on modifie des tables d'acheminement (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) placees a l'interieur de noeuds de facon que des paquets de donnees recus ne soient pas directement renvoyes a leur noeud d'emission. En reponse a la detection d'une liaison en derangement, un noeud modifie ses tables d'acheminement (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) afin d'eviter la liaison en derangement. Apres notification de la liaison en derangement une installation de commande repond en creant des instructions qui compensent la liaison en derangement. L'installation de commande envoie les instructions au moins au noeud qui a detecte la liaison en derangement. Si cela n'a pas deja ete effectue par l'installation de commande, le noeud modifie ses tables d'acheminement (220, 230, 232, 234, 236) de facon que le paquets de donnees ne soient pas renvoyes a leurs noeuds d'emission et pour eviter la liaison en derangement.

Dorin Jeffrey Stuart

Papers

Responsive routing control method and apparatus

Procede et appareil de commande d'acheminement de donnees de telecommunications